Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Ukraine: Russia

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they were invited to take part in the talks between President Hollande, Chancellor Merkel and President Putin concerning a peaceful settlement in Ukraine; and if so, why they did not do so.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: I refer the noble Lord to the Statement made in the House of Commons on 10 February by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), which I repeated in the House of Lords, Official Report, Columns 1109-1112. The Foreign Secretary said that in a meeting during the D-Day 70th Anniversary Commemorations in Normandy last summer, the UK agreed with the US and our European partners that the most effective channel of communication with the Kremlin would be through a small group. This is known as the Normandy Format, comprising Germany, France as the host of the Normandy meeting, Ukraine and Russia.The Foreign Secretary and the US Secretary of State were in regular contact with their German and French counterparts to discuss the recent diplomatic efforts.

India

The Lord Bishop of Coventry: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of freedom of religion or belief in India following the election of Prime Minister Modi.

The Lord Bishop of Coventry: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations have they made to the government of India regarding the practice of forced, fraudulent or induced conversions of Christians and Muslims to Hinduism in India.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: UK Ministers and officials from our High Commission in New Delhi discuss religious and minority issues with the Indian National Commission for Minorities and other relevant State-level authorities. Most recently, the Minister of State at the Home Office with responsibility for Crime Prevention, my right Hon. Friend the Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Lynne Featherstone), met the Indian Minister for Minorities in January. Our High Commission also maintains regular contact with senior faith leaders and along with EU partners met with the Archbishop of Delhi on 13 February. During their visit to India last week, the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association also discussed the recent attacks on churches in New Delhi with the Indian Minister for Minorities. We will continue to maintain a dialogue with the new Indian government about religious and minority rights issues.

India

The Lord Bishop of Coventry: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assistance have they provided or intend to provide to those human rights organisations committed to strengthening India’s commitment to and respect for Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We regularly discuss issues around freedom of religion and belief with the Indian government and faith leaders. We also support freedom of religion or belief in India through Department for International Development programmes which help to promote equal treatment and access to services for all, including the most disadvantaged communities.

Tunisia

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what share of Arab Partnership Funds will be devoted to Tunisia in 2015/16 and subsequent years; and whether they have any plans to increase those funds.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The British Government’s Arab Partnership initiative was set up in 2010 to support lasting political and economic reform in the Middle East and North Africa through the building of inclusive institutions, political pluralism, free media and structural economic reform. In the Financial Year 2014/2015, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) managed Arab Partnership Participation Fund (APPF) has funded project work to a value of over £10 million supporting political pluralism, free media and good governance across the region. This included over £1.5 million of projects in Tunisia. Amongst other successes, our support has helped Tunisians deliver balanced and accurate reporting of the recent elections; enabled civil society to contribute to the discussions over the new constitution; and helped develop an anti-corruption Code of Conduct for Civil Servants, strengthening government institutions. £40 million was also provided through the Department for International Development-run Arab Partnership Economic Facility (APEF) to support economic reform. APEF regional projects will continue to operate in 2015/16, including in Tunisia, but there are currently no plans for additional funding. The FCO’s overall Strategic Programme Fund budgets for future Financial Years are yet to be confirmed, and we are therefore unable to give indications of individual allocations at this stage. We remain committed to supporting lasting reform and building legitimate and inclusive institutions in Tunisia.

Ukraine

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are taking steps to facilitate an exchange of prisoners held as a result of fighting in Ukraine, whether through the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe or otherwise; and what assessment they have made of the prospects of achieving that result.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We continue to call on all parties to implement in full the commitments they made under the ceasefire agreement reached in Minsk in September 2014, including the immediate release of all hostages and unlawfully detained persons. We support ongoing negotiations through the Trilateral Contact Group, of which the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is a member, and through the Normandy Format to find a diplomatic solution to the crisis in eastern Ukraine.

Occupied Territories

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the government of Israel concerning its financing of the World Zionist Organization to assign Palestinian land to Jewish settlers.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The Government has not had any discussions with the Government of Israel on this specific issue concerning settlements. However, the UK’s position on settlements is clear. They are illegal, present an obstacle to peace, and take us further away from a two state solution. We have repeatedly condemned settlement announcements, and we will continue to call on the Israeli authorities to cease all settlement building and to remove illegal outposts, as required under international law.

Middle East

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anelay of St Johns on 2 February (HL 4414), whether in the light of recent reports of shell shock among Gazan children they have any plans to ask the government of Israel to refrain from mock aerial fighter displays; and what funding or help the United Kingdom is providing to treat trauma in young children in Gaza.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We are investigating these reports and are considering raising this issue with the Israeli authorities. We have a regular dialogue with the Israelis regarding the conduct of the occupation and frequently raise issues of concern.The Department for International Development (DfID) has provided £106.5million to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) General Fund from 2011-15. UNRWA has integrated psycho-social care into their education service delivery, for which we provide core funding.DfID also supported some short-term psychosocial care in the aftermath of the conflict, between July and October. Through their Rapid Response Fund, they gave: - £500,000 to CARE (their total caseload including adults and children was 182,000) - £306,000 to International Medical Corps to support 3,000 children - And £253,000 to Plan to support 4,844 children

Israel

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel following reported the deaths of Bedouin women in an accident with Israeli police tractors.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: As the deaths were a result of a road accident, we have not raised this incident with the Israeli authorities. An official from our Embassy in Tel Aviv was in the Negev on the day of the accident, and met several leading Bedouin non-governmental organisations. The issue was discussed with Bedouin community contacts.

Occupied Territories

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the new European Union guidelines on settlements were published in their entirety on 1 January; and whether there are any plans to make the guidelines obligatory.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Guidelines on the eligibility of Israeli entities and their activities in the territories occupied by Israel since June 1967 for grants, prizes and financial instruments funded by the EU were published on 19 July 2013 and came into force on 1 January 2014. At present, there are no plans to make these guidelines obligatory. In addition, common messages aimed at raising awareness among EU citizens and businesses regarding involvement in financial and economic activities in the settlements have been published by 21 EU Member States, including the UK. These are also voluntary guidelines, and there are no plans to make them mandatory.

Sudan

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the United Kingdom’s annual financial contribution to the UNAMID peacekeeping force budget in Sudan; what monitoring mechanism is used to assess the effectiveness of UNAMID in fulfilling its mandate of protecting civilians and facilitating humanitarian access; and whether the use of the money is measured in terms of the extent of the fulfilment of mandated aims.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The UK’s contribution to the UN African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) through UN assessed costs for the financial year 2014/15 is £50.28 million. The UN’s Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions scrutinises all mission budgets and the UK has the opportunity to input into this process. As mandated by the UN Security Council in Resolution 2173, the Secretary General is required to report to the Council every 90 days on UNAMID, including: information on the political, humanitarian and security situation in Darfur, including detailed reporting on incidents of violence and attacks against civilians; information on violations of the Status of Forces Agreement, as well as violations of international humanitarian law perpetrated by any party to the conflict; developments and progress towards achievement of UNAMID’s strategic priorities and benchmarks; developments and progress in addressing the challenges facing UNAMID as identified in the review. These reports are used by the Security Council to assess the performance of UNAMID and inform its tasking, including whether or not the level of resourcing is appropriate for the delivery of the mission’s mandated aims.

Eritrea

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the assurances given by the government of Eritrea to Home Office and Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials who visited Eritrea in December 2014 that military service there will be limited to 18 months; and whether they will undertake an analysis of the matter and report on the outcome.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: I refer the noble Baroness to my previous response of 12 February (HL4645).

Arms Control

Lord Judd: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, following the February 2015 meeting of the "P5 Process", what proposals they will be making in preparation for the April 2015 Non-proliferation Treaty Review Conference on (1) a weapons of mass destruction-free zone in the Middle East, (2) the revitalisation of the Conference on Discrimination, (3) the implementation of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, and (4) the future of the Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: I refer the noble Lord to the statement made on 12 February 2015 by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon Friend the Member for Bournemouth East (Mr Ellwood), which I repeated in the House of Lords, Official Report, column HLWS256; and to the attached joint statement issued by the P5 States after their conference in London on 4-5 February.



London P5 Conference Joint Statement
(PDF Document, 216.64 KB)

Tunisia

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to increase the resources available to the United Kingdom Embassy in Tunis.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Staffing resources at our Embassy in Tunis have more than doubled since the 2011 revolution. An additional staff member is due to deploy later this year. We plan to focus programme resources on areas where the UK can offer unique comparative advantage, coordinating with other partners to maximise effect. Programme Fund budgets for future Financial Years are yet to be confirmed.

Tunisia

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what ministerial visits to Tunisia are planned for the coming 12 months.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth East (Mr Ellwood), had been due to visit Tunisia in January 2015. His visit was postponed at the Tunisians’ request as they were still in the process of forming a government. We hope to visit at the earliest opportunity.

Tunisia

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Arab Partnership Participation Fund will be used to help improve border security in Tunisia.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: In Financial Year 2015/16 the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has widened the Arab Partnership Fund so that it will be possible to bid for funding for some rule of law projects in addition to those in the governance, participation and public voice areas. The funding bidding process for 2015/16 is currently underway and the final selection of projects will be determined by fair and open competition based on the relative merits of individual projects and the extent to which they support the delivery of the British Government's policy in Tunisia. Government policy priorities in Tunisia include border security.

Bahrain

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are making representations to the government of Bahrain about its revocation of nationality of citizens of that country.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Our Ambassador to Bahrain has raised the revocation of citizenship of 72 Bahraini nationals at Ministerial level with the Government of Bahrain. All of the individuals affected have the right to appeal. Our Embassy in Bahrain will continue to follow these cases closely.

Iran

Lord Grade of Yarmouth: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Iran about the detention of journalists in Iran.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Freedom of expression in Iran is severely restricted. Iran has one of the highest numbers of journalists in prison in the world. News outlets and online media are heavily censored and the majority of newspapers are now government controlled. The UK continues to urge Iran to guarantee the rights of all its citizens in line with its international obligations. We last raised our concerns around freedom of expression during Iran’s Universal Periodic Review during the UN Human Rights Council on 31 October 2014.

Iran

Lord Grade of Yarmouth: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of Iran’s financial and material support for Hamas.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We remain deeply concerned by Iran’s ongoing financial and material support for Hamas and other Palestinian rejectionist groups. The supply of arms to Hamas contravenes the embargo on Iranian arms exports established by UN Security Council Resolution 1747 and undermines prospects for peace and stability in the Middle East.

Democratic Republic of Congo

Lord Chidgey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in relation to the arrest and reported incommunicado detention of Christopher Ngoyi and other activists in the wake of protests in January against the amendment of electoral law in that country.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: During the recent period of unrest in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) officials at our Embassy in Kinshasa were in regular contact with the DRC authorities, and urged all parties to exercise calm and restraint. Officials also highlighted the importance of allowing those who wished to protest peacefully against the proposed electoral reform bill to be allowed to do so. This was echoed in a Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) press statement issued on 19 January. On 25 January a revised electoral law was passed, and on 26 January a FCO press statement welcomed the revised electoral law, which sought to address some of the protestors' concerns. We are pleased that calls for an end to violence were heeded but are concerned that - according to UN reports – as many as 300 people remain in detention following the demonstrations, including some who have not had access to a lawyer. Of those currently being held, the UN estimates that at least 11 are believed to be in ‘incommunicado’ detention, including Christopher Ngoyi. Officials continue to raise the ongoing detention of protestors at the highest level. On 11 February, EU Heads of Mission in Kinshasa issued a joint statement expressing concern at arrests and arbitrary detention of political activists by the security services. Those imprisoned for peacefully exercising their right to free speech must be released without delay.

Libya

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their latest assessment of the human rights situation in Libya.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The UK remains seriously concerned by the human rights situation in Libya. Libya is a human rights Country of Concern for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and features in the FCO’s annual Human Rights and Democracy report. The UK worked closely with international partners to support the efforts of the UN Special Representative of the Secretary General, Bernardino Leon, to bring an end to the violence through an inclusive political dialogue between the parties. In April 2014 the Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), offered diplomatic support for UN efforts by appointing Jonathan Powell as a Special Envoy to the Libyan political transition.

Mali

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their latest assessment of the human rights situation in Mali.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The UK remains concerned about the human rights situation in Mali. In recent years civilians have suffered from widespread human rights abuses, particularly during the occupation of northern Mali by terrorist groups. Women and girls have been victims of sexual violence and children have been recruited into armed groups. Those who commit human rights violations continue to act with impunity. Negotiations in Algiers are taking place between the government and armed groups aimed at reaching a sustainable peace agreement, which would lead to an improvement in human rights in Mali.   The UK is actively working to improve human rights in Mali including with partners. For example, we are providing a curriculum of training in international humanitarian law as part of the EU’s training mission to the Malian Armed Forces. So far some 3,000 Malian soldiers have received this training. We also support the work of the UN to monitor human rights abuses in Mali.

Guinea-Bissau

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their latest assessment of the human rights situation in Guinea-Bissau.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The UK welcomes the return to constitutional order in Guinea-Bissau following the democratic Presidential and Legislative elections in 2014. We also welcome the subsequent improvement in the human rights situation, particularly in respect of civil and political rights, but further progress needs to be made, especially in strengthening the justice sector. We have encouraged Guinea-Bissau to take practical steps to accelerate the eradication of Female Genital Mutilation and to reduce the number of child, early and forced marriages, including at the UN in January during the Universal Periodic Review of Guinea-Bissau’s human rights record.

Eritrea

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their latest assessment of the human rights situation in Eritrea.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We remain concerned about the human rights situation in Eritrea, including shortcomings in the rule of law, reports of arbitrary detention, and limits on the freedom of speech. We have made clear we want the Eritrean government to take concrete steps to implement the international commitments it has made. We welcome recent progress made by the Government of Eritrea, including ratifying the Convention Against Torture in 2014 and hosting a visit by international human rights experts in January 2015. We continue to urge Eritrea to work constructively with the international community and implement the recommendations of the 2014 Universal Periodic Review (UPR). Eritrea is a human rights Country of Concern for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and features in the FCO’s annual Human Rights and Democracy report. A copy of the FCO’s latest quarterly update on the human rights situation in Eritrea is attached. 



Eritrea - latest update on human rights situation
(Word Document, 28.9 KB)

Sudan

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their latest assessment of the human rights situation in Sudan.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The UK remains seriously concerned by the human rights situation in Sudan. Sudan is a human rights Country of Concern for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and features in the FCO’s annual Human Rights and Democracy report. A copy of the FCO’s latest quarterly assessment of the human rights situation in Sudan is attached, which highlights the ongoing conflicts, restrictions on freedom of religion or belief and freedom of expression remain of particular concern.



Sudan - quarterly assessment of human rights
(Word Document, 20.25 KB)

Northern Ireland Office

European Union

Baroness Prashar: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the total cost of the Review of the Balance of Competences between the United Kingdom and the European Union to the Northern Ireland Office and its associated agencies, broken down by (1) staff time, (2) printing costs, (3) running of engagement events, (4) witness expenses, (5) publicity of the reports, and (6) any and all other associated costs.

Baroness Randerson: As the Noble Baroness will be aware, the Balance of Competences Review concluded in December. The Review involved a large number of Departments across Whitehall to produce the 32 reports. The Review was based on the evidence and views received through consultation with interested parties. Across the whole review, departments received close to 2,300 evidence submissions. Departments held over 250 events, attended by around 2,100 stakeholders.It was important that this examination of EU membership was done with appropriate time and care. But the government is also very conscious of the need to ensure value for money in everything that it does.Between 2012 and 2014, work on the Balance of Competences within the Department was staffed by the equivalent of one Grade B (salary range £35,188-£44,964). As many lead departments liaised direct with the Northern Ireland Executive, under 1% of the official’s time was spent on the Review. The Northern Ireland Office did not incur printing costs; costs for running engagement events; publicity costs or other associated costs. Across the whole of the Balance of Competences Review witness expenses amounted to approximately £2,225.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

European Union

Lord Tugendhat: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the total cost of the Review of the Balance of Competences between the United Kingdom and the European Union to UK Export Finance and its associated agencies, broken down by (1) staff time, (2) printing costs, (3) running of engagement events, (4) witness expenses, (5) publicity of the reports, and (6) any and all other associated costs.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 19 February 2015.The correct answer should have been:

I refer my Noble Lord to the answer as given for HL4840  I refer the noble Lord to HL4847 for the combined answer.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: I refer my Noble Lord to the answer as given for HL4840  I refer the noble Lord to HL4847 for the combined answer.

European Union

Lord Tugendhat: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the total cost of the Review of the Balance of Competences between the United Kingdom and the European Union to UK Trade and Investment and its associated agencies, broken down by (1) staff time, (2) printing costs, (3) running of engagement events, (4) witness expenses, (5) publicity of the reports, and (6) any and all other associated costs.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 19 February 2015.The correct answer should have been:

I refer my Noble Lord to the answer as given for HL4840 As you will be aware, the Balance of Competences Review concluded in December. It was the most comprehensive analysis of the UK’s relationship with the EU ever undertaken. The review involved a large number of Departments across Whitehall to produce 32 reports. The Review was based on the evidence and views received through widespread consultation with interested parties from across society. Across the whole review, departments received close to 2,300 evidence submissions. Departments held over 250 events, attended by around 2,100 stakeholders.   It was important that what is an unprecedented examination of EU membership was done with appropriate time and care. But the government is also very conscious of the need to ensure value for money in everything it does.   (1) Staff time Between 2012-2013, the Balance of Competences Review Team in the Department was staffed by the equivalent of one Grade 7 (salary range £47, 545 - £55,882), and one intern (salary range £23,869 – £27, 281) dedicating 100% of their time to the review to project manage 7 BIS led reports and 1 joint report. Between 2013 – 2014 this was reduced to one Grade 7. Between 2012 – 2014 one Deputy Director (salary range £62,000 - £117,800) dedicated 20% of their time as the senior reporting officer for the review. All other work on the review was allocated, according to need, to existing staff within the Department. Therefore, providing a full breakdown of staff time and costs would exceed the disproportionate cost threshold.   (2) Printing costs   Printing and publication for the 8 Departmental reports, was coordinated centrally but paid for by the Department, with the exception of the Single Market Report which was printed in-house. Printing and publication costs for all 8 reports totalled £32,821.94. The costs for all 32 reports was £133, 053(3) Running of Engagement events   Each policy team in the Department held a wide range of engagement events over the 2 years; the department did not incur any costs for the running of these events. The facilities for hosting these events were either provided by other Government Departments or by business partners or were held on department premises at no extra cost to the department.(4) WitnessFrom centrally held figures, we understand that across the whole of the Balance of Competences Review witness expenses amounted to approximately £2,255.00.   (5) Publicity   The Department did not incur any publicity costs as we published the reports and the call for evidence via email, social media and the Government website.   (6) All other associated costs   Between 2012 – 2014 the Department commissioned research and analysis to form part of the literature review to provide the reports with legal analysis to ensure the reports were neither too analytical or too speculative and political, but instead adhere to the agreed treaties. The cost for all 8 reports was £108, 738.28.   Department officials incurred some additional associated costs due to travel to meetings and stakeholder events in the UK. Some officials also incurred costs related to events in Brussels. We estimate that the additional travel costs incurred amounted to less than £300.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: I refer my Noble Lord to the answer as given for HL4840 As you will be aware, the Balance of Competences Review concluded in December. It was the most comprehensive analysis of the UK’s relationship with the EU ever undertaken. The review involved a large number of Departments across Whitehall to produce 32 reports. The Review was based on the evidence and views received through widespread consultation with interested parties from across society. Across the whole review, departments received close to 2,300 evidence submissions. Departments held over 250 events, attended by around 2,100 stakeholders.   It was important that what is an unprecedented examination of EU membership was done with appropriate time and care. But the government is also very conscious of the need to ensure value for money in everything it does.   (1) Staff time Between 2012-2013, the Balance of Competences Review Team in the Department was staffed by the equivalent of one Grade 7 (salary range £47, 545 - £55,882), and one intern (salary range £23,869 – £27, 281) dedicating 100% of their time to the review to project manage 7 BIS led reports and 1 joint report. Between 2013 – 2014 this was reduced to one Grade 7. Between 2012 – 2014 one Deputy Director (salary range £62,000 - £117,800) dedicated 20% of their time as the senior reporting officer for the review. All other work on the review was allocated, according to need, to existing staff within the Department. Therefore, providing a full breakdown of staff time and costs would exceed the disproportionate cost threshold.   (2) Printing costs   Printing and publication for the 8 Departmental reports, was coordinated centrally but paid for by the Department, with the exception of the Single Market Report which was printed in-house. Printing and publication costs for all 8 reports totalled £32,821.94. The costs for all 32 reports was £133, 053(3) Running of Engagement events   Each policy team in the Department held a wide range of engagement events over the 2 years; the department did not incur any costs for the running of these events. The facilities for hosting these events were either provided by other Government Departments or by business partners or were held on department premises at no extra cost to the department.(4) WitnessFrom centrally held figures, we understand that across the whole of the Balance of Competences Review witness expenses amounted to approximately £2,255.00.   (5) Publicity   The Department did not incur any publicity costs as we published the reports and the call for evidence via email, social media and the Government website.   (6) All other associated costs   Between 2012 – 2014 the Department commissioned research and analysis to form part of the literature review to provide the reports with legal analysis to ensure the reports were neither too analytical or too speculative and political, but instead adhere to the agreed treaties. The cost for all 8 reports was £108, 738.28.   Department officials incurred some additional associated costs due to travel to meetings and stakeholder events in the UK. Some officials also incurred costs related to events in Brussels. We estimate that the additional travel costs incurred amounted to less than £300.

Department for International Development

Palestinians

Lord Davies of Stamford: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the reconstruction and demilitarisation of Gaza.

Baroness Northover: We are concerned by reports of rising tensions in Gaza. We need to see a durable end to the current cycle of violence which addresses the underlying causes of the conflict and achieves a sustainable peace so Israelis and Palestinians can live without fear of violence. We stand ready to play our full part in supporting such a settlement. In the meantime, we are pleased to see that over 49,000 people have now been able to buy materials to repair their homes under the Gaza Reconstruction Mechanism (GRM). More needs to be done, but this is a step in the right direction.

UNRWA

The Lord Bishop of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the funding available to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East in Gaza.

Baroness Northover: The UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) suspended its cash assistance programme for repairs to damaged homes in Gaza due to a shortage of funds last month. The UK has provided £9million to the UNRWA Gaza Flash Appeal, and remains the third largest donor to the UNRWA General Fund. The UK has also used its influence as a predictable, multi-year donor to UNRWA to set incentives for change, including linking funding to reform and results.

Palestinians

The Lord Bishop of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the current humanitarian situation in Gaza.

Baroness Northover: The UK remains deeply concerned by the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Over 100,000 people were made homeless by the conflict last summer, more than 10,000 of whom are still sheltering in UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) operated Collective Centres.   The UK provided £17million of emergency assistance to support those affected by the conflict last summer and is providing a further £20million of early recovery assistance.

UNRWA

The Lord Bishop of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to pledge any funds to assist United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East in Gaza to restart its cash assistance programme in Gaza.

Baroness Northover: In response to the Gaza conflict last summer, the UK has already provided £9million to the UNRWA Gaza Flash Appeal which has been used to provide rental subsidies and cash assistance.   The UK also remains the third largest donor to the UNRWA General Fund, providing £106.5million between 2012 and 2015. Future funding decisions will be based on an assessment of need and the resources available.

Palestinians

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of any proposals to prevent burns and other accidents in Gaza caused by overcrowding and unsafe heating and lighting.

Baroness Northover: The UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) recently undertook an assessment of fire and safety standards in their collective centres, where over 10,000 people are still sheltering. Following this assessment, UNRWA have taken a series of actions including preventing families from using electricity through external cables, launching a safety awareness campaign and providing training with civil defence on the standard operating procedures if a fire occurs.   The UK provided £9million to the UNRWA Gaza Flash Appeal following the conflict last summer, and remains the third largest donor to the UNRWA General Fund.

Middle East

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what resources they are providing to the Moving Energy Initiative for Middle Eastern Refugees; to what extent any such assistance will include solar energy for camps; and what other forms of energy, for instance solar ovens, are being planned.

Baroness Northover: Over the next two years, DFID’s Humanitarian Innovation and Evidence Programme is providing £2million to develop The Moving Energy Initiative. Initial research and evidence will guide subsequent pilots which will provide renewable and/or sustainable energy for displaced populations. A country in the Middle East will be one of the pilots.   The initiative will consider the applicability of a range of technologies in addition to solar photovoltaic and solar thermal systems, including clean or fuel efficient cookstoves, anaerobic digestion, appropriate energy efficient buildings, and wind power amongst others. One of the objectives of the research will be to identify the ‘best-fit’ renewable/sustainable energy option(s) for each specific location.

Department for Education

Teachers: Males

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Nash on 20 January concerning the numbers of male and female teachers in primary and secondary schools (HL4276), in the light of their valuing diversity, what steps they have taken to improve the ratio of male to female teachers in primary and secondary schools; and whether they plan to take any action to redress the disparity.

Lord Nash: The Government has introduced a series of incentives to attract the very best graduates into teaching, and we are starting to see more top male graduates enter teaching. The proportion of those entering initial teacher training each year who are male has grown since this Government took office: 29% of entrants in 2014/15 are male, which compares favourably with the workforce overall, where 26% are male. The Government has introduced a range of financial incentives to attract high-quality teachers; from 2012/13, the highest bursaries for initial teacher training (ITT) have been awarded to graduates with first or 2:1 degree classifications and for subjects in which it is traditionally difficult to recruit. In addition, we work in partnership with professional bodies to offer tax-free scholarships of £25,000 to those entering chemistry, computing, maths and physics ITT. The Government also continues to fund Teach First and, for 2015/16 ITT we have increased the number of places by 33%, from 1,500 to 2,000.

Schools: Vocational Guidance

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to enhance the quality of careers guidance available in schools in England.

Lord Nash: It is essential that all young people leave school prepared for life in modern Britain. This includes finding new ways to broaden young peoples’ exposure to the world of work and ensuring they have key skills like character and grit. A new, independent careers and enterprise company, announced by my Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, on 10 December 2014, will support schools by increasing the level of employer input into careers guidance, inspiration and enterprise. This is a vital part of our plans to strengthen links between schools and the world of work to ensure young people get the support they need. The company will have the specific remit of spreading existing good practice to every part of England. The company will receive start-up funding drawn from the £20 million for careers announced in the autumn statement. The new company is a key part of a wider package of measures to improve careers guidance in schools. We have revised our statutory guidance to clarify our expectations of schools in relation to their duty to secure independent careers guidance, and will review it again in time for the next academic year. We have established a clear accountability system. Ofsted is giving a higher priority to careers guidance in school inspections and we publish destination measures which help schools and colleges to be held to account locally and inform choices by parents and students. We have also enhanced the role of the National Careers Service to help bring schools and employers closer together.

Ministry of Defence

Armed Forces: Training

Lord Eames: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to encourage co-operation in training between the armed forces of the United Kingdom and those of the Republic of Ireland.

Lord Astor of Hever: On 19 January 2015, the Secretary of State for Defence signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Ireland designed to increase the level of Defence engagement between our Armed Forces; it includes provision for co-operation on training.A copy of the Memorandum of Understanding is attached.



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Burma

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much they plan to spend on providing English language training courses for the Burmese Army.

Lord Astor of Hever: For 2015 the Ministry of Defence has committed £74,210 for the provision of English Language Training at the Defence Services Academy of Burma.

Burma

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether any review of the training being provided to the Burmese Army has examined concerns about the shooting and killing of Sai Sarm Tip in eastern Shan State on 12 December 2014 by Burmese army troops from Light Infantry Brigade 573.

Lord Astor of Hever: We have not conducted a formal review of the education provided to the Burmese Army (Tatmadaw) since the killing of Sai Sarm Tip in eastern Shan State on 12 December 2014, about whose death we were concerned. Incidents such as this highlight the continued requirement for fundamental reform of the Burmese military. We do not provide any training that enhances the combat capability of the Tatmadaw. Since December 2014 we have delivered two educational courses to the Tatmadaw focusing on democratic accountability and rule of law which included modules on human rights issues. We have consulted extensively with members of ethnic armed groups, civil society and the political opposition led by Aung San Suu Kyi, and there is support of our approach. Aung San Suu Kyi also attended an event during our latest education course in January. While we recognise that defence education remains a sensitive issue, without engaging with the Tatmadaw our ability to influence their behaviour and bind them into a long term process of political reform, including improving their human rights record, will be limited.

Armed Forces: Alcoholic Drinks

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to improve the strategy for combating alcohol abuse in the armed forces.

Lord Astor of Hever: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) attaches considerable importance to tackling alcohol misuse in the Armed Forces, and consequently has in place a package of measures, including education, training, discipline and treatment. Sensible, moderate consumption of alcohol can play an important part in the military culture. However, the benefits must always be balanced against the hazards of misuse. The majority of Armed Forces personnel manage social drinking in moderation, although we are not complacent. The MOD's approach to alcohol is therefore being reviewed by a pan-Defence working group in order to identify key policy and behavioural changes needed to bring about a reduction in alcohol misuse in the Armed Forces. This review will result in the adoption of a strategic approach towards continuing to improve Armed Forces' attitudes and culture regarding alcohol consumption. This will lead to the introduction of more effective screening procedures, the development of alcohol brief interventions, as well as greater emphasis on the chain of command in effecting change, be that through education, staff development or leadership.

Army

Lord Stevens of Ludgate: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many (1) horses, and (2) tanks, the British Army has.

Lord Astor of Hever: The Army currently has 485 horses, serving in the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment, the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery, the Household Division and at the Defence Animal Centre. The total number of Challenger 2 Main Battle Tanks is 227.A total of 141 Challenger variants are also in service. There are 75 armoured repair and recovery vehicles, 33 Titan armoured bridge layers and 33 Trojan combat engineering vehicles.In addition to Challenger, the Army also operates a large number of other armoured fighting vehicles, including a combined total of over 1,500 Warriors and Bulldogs.

Armed Forces: Recruitment

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many people were recruited to the regular army, navy and airforce over the last six months; and how those numbers compare to targets for such recruitment.

Lord Astor of Hever: The information requested is shown below: Intake of untrained personnel to UK Regular Forces by Service  Target(Financial Year2014-15)Intake(at 31 December 2014)Royal Navy3,2642,130Army10,0785,340Royal Air Force2,4561,410 Intake comprises new entrants, re-entrants, and intake from the Reserves. It excludes all movements within the Regular Forces; including flows from the untrained to trained strength, transfers between Services and flows from Ranks to Officer due to promotion. UK Regulars are full time Service personnel, including Nursing Services, but excluding Full Time Reserve Service personnel, Gurkhas, mobilised Reservists, Military Provost Guarding Service, Locally Engaged Personnel, and Non Regular Permanent Service.

European Union

Lord Tugendhat: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the total cost of the Review of the Balance of Competences between the United Kingdom and the European Union to the Ministry of Defence and its associated agencies, broken down by (1) staff time, (2) printing costs, (3) running of engagement events, (4) witness expenses, (5) publicity of the reports, and (6) any and all other associated costs.

Lord Astor of Hever: As you will be aware, the Balance of Competences (BOC) Review concluded in December 2014. It was the most comprehensive analysis of the UK's relationship with the EU ever undertaken. The Review involved a large number of Departments across Whitehall to produce the 32 reports. The Review was based on the evidence and views received through widespread consultation with interested parties from across society. Across the whole review, Departments received close to 2,300 evidence submissions. Departments held over 250 events, attended by around 2,100 stakeholders.It was important that what is an unprecedented examination of EU membership was done with appropriate time and care. But the Government is also very conscious of the need to ensure value for money in everything that it does.Staff time. Work on the Review was allocated according to need to existing staff within the Department. Providing a full breakdown of staff time and costs would exceed the disproportionate cost thresholdPrinting costs. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) supported the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in the foreign Policy element of the BOC review and as such has not incurred any printing costs.Running engagement events. The cost of engagement events to MOD amounted to approximately £1,250.Witness expenses. Across the whole of the Balance of Competences Review witness expenses amounted to approximately £2,255.Publicity of reports. The MOD supported the FCO in the Foreign Policy element of the BOC review and as such has not incurred any costs for report publicity.All other associated costs. None

Russia

Lord West of Spithead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many Merlin anti-submarine warfare helicopters were employed in the hunt for a suspected Russian submarine to the west of the United Kingdom this year.

Lord West of Spithead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many 2087 sonar-fitted T23 Frigates were employed in the hunt for a suspected Russian submarine to the west of the United Kingdom this year.

Lord West of Spithead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many nuclear attack submarines were employed in the hunt for a suspected Russian submarine to the west of the United Kingdom this year.

Lord Astor of Hever: We do not discuss the detail of maritime operations as this would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

Department for Work and Pensions

State Retirement Pensions: British Nationals Abroad

Baroness Benjamin: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact on families of their policy to freeze rather than uprate the state pensions of those living abroad.

Baroness Benjamin: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to alleviate loneliness among British pensioners who would prefer to migrate to join their younger families overseas but who are reluctant to do so as a result of the prospect of the freezing of their state pension.

Lord Freud: The bulk of individuals receiving UK state pensions overseas voluntarily moved abroad whilst in their twenties and thirties. This means they will have spent the majority of their working lives outside the UK and contributing to the economy of their country of residence. For the small minority of pensioners who decide to move overseas at retirement it is advisable that they check the implications for their state pension before moving. There is no evidence of a proven behavioural link between the up-rating policy for the state pension and pensioner migration. Furthermore, it is not the role of the Government to encourage (or discourage) pensioner migration. The decision to move abroad is voluntary and remains a personal choice dependent on the circumstances of the individual, which will differ from person to person, and of which implications for their state pension is just one factor.

Children: Maintenance

Lord Kirkwood of Kirkhope: To ask Her Majesty’s Government why no target or key performance indicators have been set for the collection of child maintenance arrears.

Lord Kirkwood of Kirkhope: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what factors have changed since they announced in June 2010 that a target would be set for the collection of child maintenance arrears.

Lord Kirkwood of Kirkhope: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what recommendations were made by the Advisory Panel on the Arrears of Child Maintenance; and what action they took as a result of the panel’s recommendations put forward in 2011.

Lord Kirkwood of Kirkhope: To ask Her Majesty’s Government why they did not adopt an appropriate indicator for the collection of child maintenance arrears as recommended by the Advisory Panel on the Arrears of Child Maintenance.

Lord Freud: Performance indicators have been set for those aspects of child maintenance activity that are most critical to the objectives set out in the Government’s strategy on arrears published in January 2013, namely to prevent the build up of arrears in the first place and prioritise the recovery of arrears where this will benefit children today. We therefore have indicators, for example, on the clearance of cases, collections, the number of cases contributing towards current liability and the number of children benefiting. A simple indicator for the collection of arrears would not reflect the objectives of the strategy. Since 2010 we have collected almost £600 million in arrears. The recommendations are set out on pages 20 to 34 of the Advisory Panels 2011 Report “Advisory Panel on Arrears of Child Maintenance” which can be found at: http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20120716161734/http:/www.childmaintenance.org/en/pdf/advisory-panel-arrears-sep-11.pdf In response to the report the Department published its Arrears and Compliance Strategy 2012 – 2017 – “Preparing for the future, tackling the past.” which can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/214338/cm-arrears-and-compliance-strategy-2012-2017.pdf  In December 2012, the Department introduced two sections of the Child Maintenance and Other Payments Act 2008; the ability to write off debt in prescribed scenarios and to accept part payment in full and final satisfaction. We have also trialled the use of the Australian Model of arrears classification, and are considering the results to inform future action.

European Union

Baroness Prashar: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the total cost of the Review of the Balance of Competences between the United Kingdom and the European Union to the Department for Work and Pensions and its associated agencies, broken down by (1) staff time, (2) printing costs, (3) running of engagement events, (4) witness expenses, (5) publicity of the reports, and (6) any and all other associated costs.

Lord Freud: As you will be aware, the Balance of Competences Review concluded in December. It was the most comprehensive analysis of the UK’s relationship with the EU ever undertaken. The Review involved a large number of Departments across Whitehall to produce the 32 reports. The Review was based on the evidence and views received through widespread consultation with interested parties from across society. Across the whole review, departments received close to 2,300 evidence submissions. Departments held over 250 events, attended by around 2,100 stakeholders. It was important that what is an unprecedented examination of EU membership was done with appropriate time and care. But the government is also very conscious of the need to ensure value for money in everything that it does. Work on the Review was allocated according to need to existing staff within the Department. Providing a full breakdown of staff time and costs would exceed the disproportionate cost threshold. The Department for Work and Pensions contributed to two reports, the Social and Employment Report, led by the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills, and the Single Market: Free Movement of Persons Report, led by the Home Office. As such, the Department for Work and Pensions did not directly incur any costs. The Department did make a financial contribution to the Home Office in respect of their printing costs. Across the whole of the Balance of Competences Review witness expenses amounted to approximately £2,255.00

Post Office Card Account

Baroness Byford: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Minister of State for Pensions, Steve Webb MP, on 21 May 2012 (HC Deb, col 506W), how many of the targeted 700,000 Post Office card accounts have been migrated to mainstream bank accounts and how many Post Office account users have refused to give up their Post Office account.

Lord Freud: For reasons of financial inclusion the Post Office Ltd (POL) were financially incentivised to migrate 700,000 users of Post Office card accounts to mainstream bank accounts over the life of the current contract. As part of this contract Government is not responsible to pay for the upkeep of these 700,000 accounts. Through the life of the contract to date, customer volumes have reduced by approximately 1.1m, achieving a saving for the Government on these accounts. The extent to which POL has achieved this reduction through attrition or migration is a matter for POL.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

European Union

Baroness Scott of Needham Market: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the total cost of the Review of the Balance of Competences between the United Kingdom and the European Union to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and its associated agencies, broken down by (1) staff time, (2) printing costs, (3) running of engagement events, (4) witness expenses, (5) publicity of the reports, and (6) any and all other associated costs.

Lord De Mauley: Defra was responsible for the following reports as part of the Balance of Competences Review:Animal Health and Welfare and Food Safety (which was produced jointly with the Food Standards Agency);Environment and Climate Change (which was produced jointly with DECC);Agriculture; andFisheries. 1) Staff costsThe cost of the Defra team which led on producing the four reports between 2012 and 2014 was approximately £500,000. The team drew on expert advice from staff across the Department. Providing a full breakdown of all staff time and costs would exceed the disproportionate cost threshold. 2) Printing costsDefra paid approximately £130,000 to print and publish the four reports. 3) Running engagement eventsEngagement events were held in Brussels, various locations in all parts of the UK, and at Defra’s London and York offices. The total cost of events, including refreshments and Defra staff travel, was approximately £4,000. To provide a full breakdown of staff time and costs would exceed the disproportionate cost threshold. 4) Witness expensesDefra did not incur any expenses for witnesses.5) PublicityDefra did not incur expenses for publicity of the reports. 6) All other associated costsThere were no other associated costs.

Agriculture: Subsidies

Baroness Byford: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the earliest date on which farmers in England will be able to submit their applications for the basic payment scheme for 2015.

Lord De Mauley: For 2015 there will not be an application window in the traditional sense. Customers will start to build their Basic Payment Scheme application from the moment they register on the Rural Payment Service. As of 22 February, 49,642 businesses have registered.   Since January, customers have been able to register, check and confirm personal, business and land details, and give permission for others to act on their behalf. Customers also update and amend their land information such as adding features and land cover. Customers will be able to confirm entitlements and eligibility from March 2015, and can complete and submit their claims from April until 15 May 2015.

Dog Fighting

Lord Hoyle: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to end dog fighting.

Lord De Mauley: Dog fighting has been banned in this country for over 100 years. It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and punishable by up to six months’ imprisonment and a fine of £20,000 or both. In addition, the police have powers to investigate allegations of dog fighting as well as powers of arrest against those suspected of being involved in this barbaric practice.

Hunting

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the United for Wildlife's follow-up to the London Conference on the Illegal Wildlife Trade, what representations they are making to ensure that subsistence hunters are not being criminalised or evicted from their lands in the name of conservation.

Lord De Mauley: We have not made any specific representations on this issue. The UK is one of the global leaders in the response to the illegal trade in wildlife. At the London Conference on the Illegal Wildlife Trade held in February 2014 more than 40 Governments committed to action designed to strengthen law enforcement, reduce demand and support alternative livelihoods of communities affected by poaching and trafficking. These Governments recognised the illegal trade in wildlife as a major barrier to sustainable, inclusive and balanced economic development that damages ecosystems, undermines good governance and the rule of law, threatens security, and reduces the revenue and local benefits earned from economic activities such as wildlife‐based tourism and the sustainable utilisation of and legal trade in wildlife. They recognised that sustainable livelihoods will be best supported by engaging with communities living in and around protected areas to reflect their needs alongside those of local wildlife.   We welcome the leadership of the Botswana Government in hosting the Kasane Conference on Illegal Wildlife Trade on 25 March as a follow-up to the London Conference.

Motor Vehicles: Rights of Way

Lord Bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the voting protocol for their proposed stakeholder working group on off-road recreational motor vehicles; and what is the proposed timetable for the group to report its findings to ministers and for the ensuing public consultation.

Lord De Mauley: The proposed stakeholder working group on off-road recreational motor vehicles will not need to establish a voting protocol as it will deliver a report stating, if necessary, where there are differences of opinion, or where there is no consensus. It will then be for Ministers to decide what proposals in the report to take forward.   We will set a target timeframe of 18 months for the group to report to Ministers and a public consultation will follow afterwards.

Home Office

Terrorism: France

Lord Davies of Stamford: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many members of the security service, Home Office officials or police officers have travelled to Paris following the recent terrorist attacks there to be briefed in detail on the incident and to draw potential conclusions for the protection of the public in the United Kingdom.

Lord Bates: As my Right Honourable Friend, the Home Secretary, said in her statement to the House on 14th January 2015 (Hansard columns 869-871); UK police and Security Services are working closely with their French counterparts to support them in the response and to draw out all the possible lessons for the UK following the terrible attacks that we saw in Paris. It would not be appropriate to comment in further detail on an ongoing investigation.

Asylum: Iraq

Lord Judd: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, following their policy of prioritising survivors of sexual violence for their Syrian refugee resettlement programme, what similar action they are taking in respect of the situation of Yazidi women and girls.

Lord Bates: The Government is deeply concerned about the crises in Syria and Iraq and the suffering and hardship they are causing for millions of people, particularly those who have endured appalling violence, persecution and abuse. We are committed to helping those in need and have so far provided £39.5 million to help the 2.2 million displaced Iraqis, many of whom were victims of ISIL’s persecution. These funds provide food, shelter, water and medical care to thousands of vulnerable families. Tackling violence against women and girls is a priority for the Government. The action we are taking includes providing funding to support the UN Population Fund in the coordination and information management of the international response to support victims of sexual and gender based violence. The UK has also specifically committed funding to help establish community outreach teams that are providing psychosocial support and referrals to appropriate services for survivors of sexual and gender based violence. We will continue to be actively involved in the region and will closely monitor developments but we have no current plans to expand the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Relocation (VPR) scheme, or implement a similar scheme specifically for Iraq.

Police: Road Traffic Control

Baroness Pinnock: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many Traffic Police Officers were in post in 2010; and how many are in post according to the latest published figures.

Lord Bates: The table provided shows the total number and proportion of full-time equivalent police officers within the traffic function in England and Wales, as at 31 March 2010 to 31 March 2014.Number of and proportion of full-time equivalent1 police officers within the traffic function 2, 3 in England and Wales, as at 31 March 2010 to 31 March 2014.4 Number Total 20105,63520115,32920124,86820134,67520144,356Proportion of total police officers (%) Total 20103.920113.820123.620133.620143.4 1. This table contains full-time equivalent figures that have been presented to the nearest whole number.2.Traffic function includes staff who are predominantly employed on motor-cycles or in patrol vehicles for the policing of traffic and motorway related duties. This includes officers employed in accident investigation, vehicle examination,radar duties and those working with hazardous chemicals.3. Staff with multiple responsibilities (or designations) are recorded under their primary role or function. This may explain some variability between years.4. Figures have been confirmed by all police forces after collection and before publication each year. 



PQ HL4920 - Table 
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Road Traffic Offences

Lord Bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many multi-agency vehicle enforcement checks were mounted in each of the last five years.

Lord Bates: The Home Office does not hold this information. This is an operational matter for the police and other partner agencies.

National Crime Agency: Northern Ireland

Lord Browne of Belmont: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the vote in the Northern Ireland Assembly on 3 February on the National Crime Agency, when they expect that Agency to be fully operational in Northern Ireland.

Lord Bates: The National Crime Agency (NCA) operates UK-wide, including in Northern Ireland, and provides support to its partner agencies there in relation to customs and immigration matters whilst continuing to exchange information with the PSNI. The NCA has, to date, been unable fully to target serious and organised crime groups in Northern Ireland involved in activities which require policing powers to tackle them.The draft Crime and Courts Act 2013 (National Crime Agency and Proceeds of Crime) (Northern Ireland) Order 2015, was laid before Parliament on 29 January 2015. It makes provision for the NCA to operate in Northern Ireland with full powers including the ability to recover criminal assets in relation to offences that are devolved, together with the ability to request the recovery of assets overseas in civil recovery cases.This will make Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK a safer place and means the most serious criminals can be pursued wherever they are. The Order details commencement of the provisions, some of which will come into force the day after it is made, including the extension to Northern Ireland of all of the relevant civil recovery provisions relating to freezing and recovery orders. The related civil recovery investigation powers will require further secondary legislation relating to a Code of Practice.A number of provisions that relate to the NCA’s operational use of constable powers and covert techniques, which will be subject to a Memorandum of Understanding, will come into force at the end of two months beginning with the day on which the Order is made. The Order may not be made until it has been approved by a resolution of each House of Parliament.

Offences against Children

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures they are taking to overhaul child abuse investigations.

Lord Bates: The Government is clear that if anyone has been a victim of child sexual abuse, or knows of someone who has been a victim, then they should report it to the police so that it can be thoroughly investigated. The day to day investigation of child sexual abuse is an operational matter for the relevant Chief Officer. In July last year, the Home Secretary established an Independent Panel Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse. This Inquiry will consider whether, and the extent to which, public bodies and other non-state institutions have taken seriously their duty of care to protect children from sexual abuse. The Inquiry will have statutory powers under the Inquiries Act 2005, to enable it to compel witnesses to give evidence. This is of huge national significance and is a once in a generation opportunity to get to the truth. At a national level, Operation Hydrant is the national policing response which oversees and coordinates all child abuse investigations concerning persons of public prominence or those offences which took place historically in institutional settings. It is overseen by the National Policing Lead for Child Protection and Abuse Investigations. More generally, Operation Hydrant is responsible for the production of best practice for Senior Investigating Officers (SIOs) investigating relevant allegations.To support forces in conducting operations into child sexual abuse, the College of Policing has published Authorised Professional Practice (APP) on managing complex child abuse investigations. Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary is currently conducting a rolling programme of unannounced child protection inspections. Reports on Norfolk, South Yorkshire, West Midlands, Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire have been published so far. This inspection programme, once completed, will give a national picture, and focus on the role of police in child protection and specifically how effectively forces safeguard young people.

Charlie Hebdo

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what advice they have given to police forces on the action to be taken in relation to information on persons who have ordered or received copies of Charlie Hebdo from their newsagents or in other ways, and whether such information should be collected; and which police forces have collected any such information.

Lord Bates: In line with their operational independence, this is an issue on which appropriate action is taken by the police as required. The police Security Review Committee process considers terrorist threats to all communities across the UK, and considers the appropriate policing response, including any protective security requirements, advice and guidance, to respond to any emerging threats. I understand that the police assessed the risks arising from the sale of the magazine Charlie Hedbo in the UK after events in Paris, and provided appropriate advice to wholesalers, distributors, and retailers of the magazine. There was no centrally co-ordinated request to collect information on individuals who ordered or received copies.

Scotland Office

European Union

Baroness Quin: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the total cost of the Review of the Balance of Competences between the United Kingdom and the European Union to the Scotland Office and its associated agencies, broken down by (1) staff time, (2) printing costs, (3) running of engagement events, (4) witness expenses, (5) publicity of the reports, and (6) any and all other associated costs.

Lord Wallace of Tankerness: The Balance of Competences Review concluded in December. It was the most comprehensive analysis of the UK’s relationship with the EU ever undertaken. The Review involved a large number of Departments across Whitehall to produce the 32 reports. The Review was based on the evidence and views received through widespread consultation with interested parties from across society. Across the whole review, departments received close to 2,300 evidence submissions. Departments held over 250 events, attended by around 2,100 stakeholders. It was important that what is an unprecedented examination of EU membership was done with appropriate time and care. But the government is also very conscious of the need to ensure value for money in everything that it does. Scotland Office did not lead on one report but fed into work across the Review. In terms of staff time, work on the Review was allocated according to need to existing staff within the Scotland Office. Providing a full breakdown of staff time and costs would exceed the disproportionate cost threshold. Scotland Office did not carry out any work in the other categories set out in the question.

European Union

Baroness Quin: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the total cost of the Review of the Balance of Competences between the United Kingdom and the European Union to the Office of Advocate General for Scotland broken down by (1) staff time, (2) printing costs, (3) running of engagement events, (4) witness expenses, (5) publicity of the reports, and (6) any and all other associated costs.

Lord Wallace of Tankerness: The Office of the Advocate General has not been required to undertake any work as part of the Review of the Balance of Competences and has incurred no costs.

Department for Energy and Climate Change

Electricity: Prices

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they plan to take to ensure that companies which supply electricity will reflect reductions in the cost of fuel in their charges to customers.

Baroness Verma: All of the major suppliers have reduced their standard variable gas tariffs in recent weeks in response to reductions in the wholesale gas price in 2014, but wholesale electricity prices have not fallen as much over the same period. The price of fixed term deals has continued to fall with the cheapest deal on the market £100 cheaper than the cheapest deal a year ago.The Competition and Markets Authority has made clear that it will be looking at the relationship between wholesale costs and retail prices as part of its investigation.

Cabinet Office

Iraq Committee of Inquiry

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: To ask Her Majesty’s Government who is responsible for deciding the terms of service of the Chair and members of the Chilcot inquiry.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: The Prime Minister of the day appointed the Chair and Committee Members of the Iraq Inquiry. The Cabinet Office, as the sponsor department, is responsible for the terms of service for the Chair and Committee members of the Iraq Inquiry.

Iraq Committee of Inquiry

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what financial or other incentives are in place to ensure that the Chair and members of the Chilcot inquiry complete their work within a reasonable time.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: Members of the Inquiry Committee are paid a daily rate with no bonus incentives. Sir John Chilcot has said that he and his colleagues intend to deliver their report to the Prime Minister as soon as it is possible to do so.

Devolution: England

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Wallace of Saltaire on 26 January (HL4275) concerning a referendum for an English parliament, since the Command Paper on devolution did not consider the possibility of an English parliament, whether they plan to consult on devolution for England and on the possibility of a referendum on devolution for England including an English parliament.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: I refer the noble Lord to the answers I gave on 8 December 2014, 16 January 2015 and 26 January 2015 to HL4275, HL3924 and HL3166.The Government has no plans to hold a referendum in England to ascertain the level of support for an English Parliament. Discussions on this issue and other proposals relating to 'the English question' are on-going.

Elections: Expenditure

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government why the Transparency of Lobbying, Non-Party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Act 2014 applies spending limits to stand-alone blogs such as the Huffington Post but not blogs produced by newspapers.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: The Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 contains an exemption so that the publication of articles relating to the election in newspapers and periodicals (other than advertisements) do not count towards controlled expenditure and are therefore not subject to spending limits.The Government considers that online journalistic activity of a similar nature would be treated as falling within this exemption. In addition, only articles which “can reasonably be regarded as promoting the electoral success of parties or candidates” count as controlled expenditure. This position has not been altered by the Transparency of Lobbying, Non-Party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Act 2014.

Civil Servants

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the latest available figures for the number of (1) men, and (2) women, employed in the Home Civil Service.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.



UK Statistics Authority Reply
(PDF Document, 113.92 KB)

Rape

Baroness Uddin: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many rapes were reported to police in the United Kingdom in the last 12 months for which they have figures; and of that number (1) how many resulted in conviction, (2) what was the breakdown of ethnic groups of those who reported rape, and (3) what was the breakdown of ethnic groups of those convicted of rape.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.



UK Statistics Authority Reply
(PDF Document, 118.29 KB)

Ministers: Pay

Lord Jopling: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Wallace of Saltaire on 22 January (HL4091), whether they will now answer the original question, including the total overall cost to public funds of all Government ministerial salaries; and what would be the total cost of paying those ministers who are currently unpaid, at the appropriate salaries attached to their appointment.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: The Written Answer provided on 22 January was pertinent to the original question. The coalition Government continues to work within the limits set by the legislation (the Ministerial and other Salaries Act 1975) with regards to the number of salaried Ministers and there are currently no plans to change this. The total cost to public funds of all Government ministerial salaries based on legislation is approximately £4.5m per year; the cost of paying unpaid ministers a salary would be approximately £744,000 per year.

Childbirth

Lord Green of Deddington: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proportion of the annual increase in the United Kingdom of births since 2002 they consider to be due to (1) rising fertility among United Kingdom-born mothers, and (2) births to migrant females.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply and attached a copy of the response.



UK Statistics Authority Reply
(PDF Document, 213.25 KB)

Households

Lord Green of Deddington: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proportion of the increase in successive censuses since 1961 in the number of households in England and Wales they consider to be due to increases in population.

Lord Green of Deddington: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proportion of the increase in successive censuses since 1961 in the number of households in England and Wales they consider to be due to net international migration.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply and attached a copy of the response.



UK Statistics Authority Reply
(PDF Document, 98.68 KB)

Department for Culture Media and Sport

Public Buildings: Disability

Baroness Gould of Potternewton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what actions they are taking to ensure that sports centres, theatres and other public places are being adapted to provide for those people who are physically disabled but not necessarily in a wheelchair.

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: The Equality Act 2010 prohibits discrimination against disabled people in the provision of goods, facilities and services. Sport England has produced the ‘Accessible Sports Facilities’ guidance note to ensure that providers meet the needs of the widest range of people in the design, operation and maintenance of sports facilities.The Arts Council has published guidance called 'Building Inclusion: Physical Access Guidance for the Arts' which covers access in relation to all aspects of arts buildings from arrival and circulation to toilets and signage for all users - staff, artists and the public.The Arts Council's current capital programme has focused on repair, renewals and refurbishments including supporting applications that seek to improve physical access. Organisations in the Arts Council's 2015-18 portfolio will need to provide an Audience Development plan for access for deaf and disabled people as part of the Funding Agreement negotiations.

Horse Guards Parade

Lord West of Spithead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government who is responsible for the maintenance of buildings, parapets, and statues on Horse Guards Parade.

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: The Royal Parks Agency is responsible for Horse Guards Parade Ground as it forms part of the Royal Park. They also have responsibility for the maintenance of the following statues and structures. - Earl Mountbatten Statue- Field Marshal Earl Kitchener Statue- Field Marshal Earl Roberts Statue- Viscount Wolseley Statue- Cadiz Mortar- Ottoman Gun  A Charitable organisation, the Committee for the Royal Naval Division Memorial is responsible for the maintenance of the Royal Naval Division Memorial. However, the Foreign and Commonwealth office has an agreement to maintain the costs of the water supply and the costs of cleaning the memorial.

BBC

Lord Black of Brentwood: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the Future of News report published by the BBC on 28 January.

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: No formal assessment has been made of the report, but we welcome the BBC's insight into the future of news.

Department of Health

Action on Smoking and Health

Lord Palmer: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will place in the Library of the House the grant letters and reports relating to payments and the objectives of their funding the Action on Smoking and Health in each of the last five years.

Lord Palmer: To ask Her Majesty’s Government under which condition of section 64 of the Health Services and Public Health Act 1968 funding is made available to Action on Smoking and Health; and what is the job title of the minister and official responsible for ensuring compliance.

Earl Howe: Grants awarded to Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) were made through the Department of Health's Section 64 General Scheme of Grants to Voluntary and Community Organisations scheme (known as “Section 64 grants”).   The grant letters and full year grant monitoring and governance reports relating the Section 64 grants awarded to ASH in the past five years have been placed in the Library. The conditions applicable to the grants are set out in the grant letters.   The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Public Health has responsibility for the Section 64 grants made to ASH. The Departmental official responsible for governance is the Deputy Director, Tobacco Control.

Doctors

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many (1) male, and (2) female, medical doctors including general practitioners are employed by the National Health Service.

Earl Howe: As at 30 September 2013 there were more than 5,600 (headcount) more doctors working and training in the hospital and community health services (HCHS) and general practice than in September 2010.   The Health and Social Care Information Centre annual workforce census provides data on the number of HCHS medical and dental staff and the number of general practitioners working and training in the National Health Service in England. The latest information is for 30 September 2013 and shows there were 148,968 doctors, including registrars and retainers. 79,593 of these were male and 69,375 were female. The next census will be published on 25 March 2015 and will show the position at 30 September 2014.   The attached table shows the number of doctors by gender from 2003-2013. 



Doctors by Gender 2003-2013
(Excel SpreadSheet, 25.83 KB)

Mesothelioma

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 23 December 2014 (HL3669), what grant applications were made to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence over the last ten years for mesothelioma research, including in each case the specific types of grant application; which were successful and which unsuccessful; and what were the applying organisation and the individual values of each successful and unsuccessful grant application.

Earl Howe: Grant applications for mesothelioma research are handled by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR).   Details of applications relating to mesothelioma submitted to research programmes managed by NIHR in the last eight years (2006-07 to 2013-14) are shown in the following tables.   Successful applications ProgrammeOrganisationAmount awardedEfficacy and Mechanism Evaluation, research-led funding streamUniversity of BirminghamSubject to contractHealth Technology AssessmentUniversity of Bristol£635,413Research for Patient BenefitNorth Bristol NHS Trust£238,606Research for Patient BenefitThe Christie NHS Foundation Trust£243,211   Unsuccessful applications ProgrammeAmount requestedEfficacy and Mechanism Evaluation, research-led funding stream£1,819,907Health Technology Assessment£480,000Health Technology Assessment£1,200,000Health Technology Assessment£1,206,118Research Fellowships£791,206Research Fellowships£255,221Research for Patient Benefit£250,000Research for Patient Benefit£171,476Research for Patient Benefit£236,079Research for Patient Benefit£236,305Research Professorships£1,228,874   The Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation programme researcher-led funding stream is managed by NIHR and funded by the Medical Research Council.   Applications are submitted to NIHR in confidence and we are unable to disclose further details of unsuccessful applications.   The NIHR was established in April 2006. No applications relating to mesothelioma were submitted to national National Health Service research and development programmes in 2004-05 or 2005-06.

NHS: Competition

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether there are any plans by NHS England to publish (1) with Monitor, or (2) without Monitor, a choice and competition framework as required by the Health and Social Care Act 2012.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government why NHS England has not published a choice and competition framework.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with (1) NHS England, and (2) other organisations, regarding the requirement under the Health and Social Care Act 2012 to publish a choice and competition framework.

Earl Howe: There is no requirement under the Health and Social Care Act 2012 for NHS England to publish a choice and competition framework. Monitor published statutory guidance, Substantive guidance on the Procurement, Patient Choice and Competition Regulations, in December 2013 to help commissioners understand how to apply the regulations when procuring clinical services. NHS England and Monitor have also run a series of joint workshops for commissioners and continue to provide advice and support to clinical commissioners in individual cases, where appropriate.

Influenza

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to protect people from this year’s seasonal flu, in the light of concerns expressed about the efficacy of the vaccine.

Earl Howe: The current flu vaccine is still expected to protect against flu A(H1N1) and flu B which have already been circulating this season and may yet increase. We continue to encourage those who are most at risk of flu to get vaccinated.   General practitioners were reminded in December 2014 of the availability of antiviral medicines, and a letter was issued to the National Health Service recommending the use of antiviral medicines for those at greatest risk of becoming ill due to flu. In addition, Public Health England is promoting good hand and respiratory hygiene via the ‘catch it, kill it’ campaign.   Throughout the last decade, there has generally been a good match between the strains of flu in the vaccine and those that subsequently circulate, so it is crucial that this season’s results do not discourage people in at-risk groups from having flu vaccination now, or in the future.

Pancreatic Cancer: Drugs

Lord Turnberg: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures they are taking to ensure that patients with pancreatic cancer can gain access to the latest and most effective treatments.

Lord Turnberg: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with NHS England about improving pancreatic survival rates.

Earl Howe: NHS England recently committed a further £15 million over three years to evaluate and treat patients with a modern, more precise type of radiotherapy, stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR). This evaluation programme will mean a significant increase in the number of cancer patients eligible to access SABR treatment by around 750 a year. The programme will widen the number of cancers being treated by SABR, including cancer that has spread to another part of the body. This new investment is in addition to NHS England’s pledge to fund up to £6 million over the next five years to cover the National Health Service treatment costs of SABR clinical trials, most of which are being led by Cancer Research UK. One of these trials is for pancreatic cancer.   Regarding cancer drugs, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended gemcitabine as a treatment option for pancreatic cancer in technology appraisal guidance published in May 2001, subject to certain clinical criteria, and has been asked to appraise a number of other pancreatic cancer drugs. Where a pancreatic cancer drug is not routinely available on the NHS, patients may be able to access it through the Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF). There is one anti-cancer therapy available through the CDF that is used in pancreatic cancer, Albumin bound Paclitaxel (Abraxane).   More generally on treatment, NHS England’s pancreatic cancer service specification clearly defines what it expects to be in place for providers to offer evidence-based, safe and effective pancreatic cancer services. This service specification has been developed by specialised clinicians, commissioners, expert patients and public health representatives to describe core and developmental service standards. In addition, a pancreatic cancer clinical guideline and quality standard have been referred to NICE by NHS England.   Other action is also ongoing to improve cancer survival rates, including for pancreatic cancer, which we know can be particularly difficult to detect and diagnose. In January 2015, NHS England launched a major early diagnosis programme, working jointly with Cancer Research UK and Macmillan Cancer Support to test new approaches to identifying cancer more quickly. These include: offering patients the option to self-refer for diagnostic tests; lowering the threshold for general practitioner (GP) referrals; creating a pathway for vague symptoms like tiredness; and setting up multi-disciplinary diagnostic centres so patients can have several tests done at the same place on the same day. NHS England’s aim is to evaluate these innovative initiatives across more than 60 centres around England to collect evidence on approaches that could be implemented from 2016-17.   In 2013, Macmillan Cancer Support, partly funded by the Department, piloted an electronic cancer decision support tool, which includes pancreatic cancer, for GPs to use in their routine practice. It is designed to help GPs recognise the symptoms of cancer and identify patients that they might not otherwise refer urgently for suspected cancer. The system is currently installed in over 1,000 GP practices, and Macmillan Cancer Support is working in partnership with companies supplying GP information technology systems to develop versions of this software to make it available to all GPs as part of their standard software offer.   The Department has regular meetings with NHS England on improving cancer survival rates, including for pancreatic cancer.

NHS: Part-time Employment

Lord Turnberg: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 10 February (HL4453), what plans they have to encourage NHS Trusts to employ and re-employ experienced medical staff who wish to practice part-time towards the end of their careers.

Earl Howe: It is for local National Health Service organisations to decide how many and what staff they employ, and they are best placed to do this based on the needs of their patients and local communities.   Health Education England (HEE) is responsible for ensuring the NHS workforce has the right numbers, skills, values and behaviours to meet the needs of patients.   HEE will work with NHS Employers and other key partners to develop a more strategic and cost-effective approach to staff retention including the encouragement of greater employer focus on retaining and investing in their current staff.   To support nursing workforce requirements, HEE announced on 29 September 2014 that it is putting £4.7 million into training resources over the next three years as part of a major national campaign that will allow former nurses to return to the workforce. Over 1,000 have entered Return to Practice programmes this year. These programmes fast track experienced nurses back into the NHS in 3-6 months, compared to 3-4 years training new nurses. HEE is working with NHS England, the British Medical Association and the Royal College of General Practitioners to standardise a funded scheme which allows general practitioners to return to United Kingdom general practice following a career break. This is anticipated to be launched at the end of March.